What if?
What if the Eels won the grand final in 2022? What if Mitchell Moses wasn’t knocked out in the qualifying final?
And what if the following year they were able to keep the nucleus of their squad together?
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If they didn’t lose Reed Mahoney, Isaiah Papali’i, Marata Niukore and Oregon Kaufusi, would things have been different?
Or if Moses, Shaun Lane and Reagan Campbell-Gillard avoided injury, while RCG, Dylan Brown, Maika Sivo and Ryan Matterson stayed on the field instead of serving suspensions?
And if you go back even further: what if Moses never joined Parramatta at all?
What if, after deciding to leave the Tigers in 2017, he signed elsewhere — or joined the Bulldogs when they came knocking in the 2022 off-season.
All of this, of course, is now in the past.
But on Wednesday night, when Moses runs out at Accor Stadium in sky blue once more, it will be yet another reminder of what could have been for the Eels halfback.
A reminder of just how dominant he can be on the biggest stage with the talent around him.
A player who, when he retires, will hang up the boots as one of the best to wear the blue and gold. And yet, he may not have a premiership ring to show for it.
Not that it’s the only thing that matters.
Try telling that to Andrew Ettingshausen, Stacey Jones, Wally Lewis or even Nathan Hindmarsh, one of Parramatta’s best ever.
But when you watch Moses on the field, whether he is spraying Tallyn Da Silva like he did last year or gesturing to the referee by turning into the wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man, you can tell that he cares.
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Moses is as passionate a player as there is. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“He’s a winner,” as former Parramatta Eels consultant Michael Ennis told foxsports.com.au.
A winner who was so close to breaking Parramatta’s premiership drought in 2022 but came up just short, and now he may never get back there again — at least in the blue and gold.
“He loves big moments, he walks towards them, he wants them,” Ennis said of Moses.
“I only had 12 months there at Parramatta but if you look at the quality around him that year at Parramatta — you had Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Junior Paulo who were in great form.
“Then Reed Mahoney, who’s a threat out of dummy half, took pressure off Moses. When you’ve got a threat out of dummy half it takes eyeballs away from a half and allows him to pick his moments rather than trying to manufacture them.
“Dylan Brown and Shaun Lane were phenomenal together down that left-hand side that season and Clint Gutherson had a great year.
“Then there was Isaiah Papali’i with Mitch down that right-hand side — they were devastating.”
Moses looks on during the 2022 NRL Grand Final match. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Looking at the state of the Eels roster, it seems clear this current squad is still a few good years away from really challenging for a title.
Ryley Smith and Da Silva are a handy tandem at hooker. They have very different playing styles and complement each other quite well, with Smith getting through more of the dirty work early on as a tackling machine before Da Silva comes on to add a dynamic edge later in the game.
But, as was the case last year in that game against North Queensland and again in Parramatta’s most recent loss to Melbourne, at times Da Silva isn’t on the same page as his halfback.
Those growing pains are normal for a young team. It’s just the unfortunate reality for Moses that he is still having to work his way through them in what is the prime of his career.
Sure, there may be the odd game where Moses put the Eels on his back and single-handledly carries them to victory.
“But you can’t win comps that way,” Braith Anasta said on the Fox League Podcast earlier this year.
“Not in the modern day… we’ve seen it with Hayne, you see these guys that have these runs as individuals more so than the team. That doesn’t win you comps.
“That will be the challenge at Parramatta — that if he’s out or not man of the match they still win.”
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So far, the Eels have four wins this season. Moses has collected three Dally M points in three of those games and the maximum six in one.
For two-time premiership winner and Fox League expert Luke Keary, it is clear that Moses needs more help from his Eels teammates. It just may not come as consistently as it would at another team with big-game experience in the key positions.
“As a hooker you need to read the game. You need to get the ball to your halfback in those critical moments,” Keary said during Fox League’s coverage of the Storm game.
“It’s really difficult. Mitch is touching the ball three, four times a set when you get down there but you can’t do everything yourself. He’s actually playing really good footy, kicking the ball really well. It’s on every individual to execute.”
At the moment, that just isn’t happening at Parramatta.
“They’re just in a really tricky period,” added Ennis.
“It was an aging roster at Parramatta and Jason Ryles felt like he needed to make change and he’s made change but at the moment Mitch just doesn’t have that high level quality around him, particularly in amongst the spine.
“They’ve dearly missed Isaiah Iongi, he’s fast and a threat around the ruck and he’s a tackle breaker and he makes linebreaks and he’s always pushing around Mitch so they’ve missed him.
“Even the constant disruption in the backline. Sean Russell’s been in and out at times with injury, Will Penisni’s been in and out with injury, they’ve lost Bailey Simonson and then through the middle losing J’maine Hopgood is a massive blow for them because he’s such a good player and gets through so much cleanup work that goes unnoticed.
“They’re in 15th position at the moment and it hasn’t been easy going for Mitch but I’ve got no doubt the self-belief and the winner inside him will stand up on Wednesday week.”
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Moses gives his all for Parramatta. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Moses said it himself earlier this week; that the Eels have a “really young squad at the moment” with “a lot of two and three-gamers who are really early in their career”.
“They’re probably finding out the hard way how first grade is,” Moses added.
That response came after a question on what the Eels captain would take from Origin camp back to clubland, because like Bulldogs skipper Stephen Crichton there is no doubt Moses is also needed back at Parramatta.
There isn’t necessarily the same level of urgency because the Eels weren’t expected to compete this year, especially when you look at their lengthy casualty ward.
But the Eels arguably need Moses more right now than the Bulldogs need Crichton.
Because beyond their passionate halfback, this is very much a playing group that is still finding its way. And Moses is usually the one pointing them in the right direction.
Even still, the 31-year-old said there is plenty to take away from Origin camp.
“You’re playing with the best players in the game,” he explained.
“They’re big leaders of their teams. (I’m) just seeing how they go about themselves and what we can take from them back to clubland.”
Mitchell Moses and Nathan Cleary will partner in the halves again. Picture: Justin Lloyd.Source: Supplied
Both Shaun Johnson and Cooper Cronk said the Origin period would be a welcome change for Moses, who “feels like he’s carrying everything for Parramatta”, according to Cronk.
“I think it’ll be really good for Mitch Moses to let some of the weight off his shoulders,” the champion halfback added.
Johnson, meanwhile, said he was especially excited to see Moses unleash his running game given he doesn’t have the freedom to lean into that strength quite as much at Parramatta.
It is a similar point to the one NSW coach Laurie Daley made earlier in the week when explaining Moses’ selection and yet another reminder of how Moses is being held back by his current situation at Parramatta.
Moses told reporters earlier this week that it was a “different role” for him in the Origin arena, where he can “float” in and out of games not having to be the dominant halfback.
“I don’t mind that look of it, to be honest. I’m excited for that side of it,” he said.
Not that he’s complaining though. In fact, Moses only signed a new deal with the Eels last year that will see him stay at the club through to 2029 and — most importantly — also removed clauses in his contract that allowed the halfback to leave the club at the end of next year.
In a time where NRL contracts are being broken left, right and centre it says something about Moses that there hasn’t been one whisper about him wanting out of Parramatta.
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“It’s been a great thing to watch really,” Ennis said.
“Both Mitch and the coach look really connected. Whenever they talk they sound like they’re on the same page. They’re aligned with their comments.
“He clearly loves the club and wants to win a premiership there. There’s been no talk of him being disgruntled or wanting to chase another opportunity… he cares.
“You can see how much he’s wearing the results.”
Moses’ passion on the field, the way he competes on every play and rides every emotion — both good and bad — is proof of just how committed he is to this club, even if it means giving up the chance to win a premiership in the near-future.
Because winning a premiership and winning one at Parramatta seem like two very different things to Moses.
So, even if it doesn’t end up working out for him in the blue and gold and that premiership ring never comes, maybe that will be Moses’ lasting legacy.